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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28299336">I'll Stay Home For Christmas</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandalaRose/pseuds/MandalaRose'>MandalaRose</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Stay With Me [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, COVID-19 Referenced, Christmas Fluff, Firefighter Dean Winchester, Fluff and Smut, Holidays, Kid Fic, M/M, No Angst, No one in the story has COVID, Quarantine, Teacher Castiel (Supernatural), This is really just some holiday fluff and smut and a check-in on our boys, and their family - Freeform, quarantine fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 01:08:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,486</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28299336</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandalaRose/pseuds/MandalaRose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring...except for a two-year-old fighting bedtime whose parents would just really like some alone time, okay?</p><p>The Milton-Winchester household settle in for a Christmas at home amid a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus outside might be frightening, but that's not going to keep our favorite couple from making the most of their holiday.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Castiel/Dean Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Stay With Me [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1479386</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>331</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I'll Stay Home For Christmas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/lotrspnfangirl/gifts">lotrspnfangirl</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays to all of who celebrate (or have already celebrated) this time of year. And for those who don't celebrate a holiday in December, happy early new year to you! I think the beginning of a new year is certainly something we're ALL going to be celebrating this year!</p><p>This time stamp is my gift to the wonderful <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/lotrspnfangirl/pseuds/lotrspnfangirl">lotrspnfangirl</a>, as a part of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/DestielWritersAndReaders">Destiel Writers &amp; Readers</a> Facebook group holiday fic exchange. I'm so excited I got to be your not-so-secret Santa. 😂 This 'verse is so very special to me and I'm happy to share this little part of it with you. 💖 I hope you enjoy this little peek into our boys' (and a few others') lives as they wrap up this crazy year. </p><p>Thank you, so much, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllenOfOz/pseuds/EllenOfOz">EllenOfOz</a> for managing a last-minute beta of this fic in the midst of all your Christmas preparations yesterday. You are amazing and I don't deserve you! I am certain most everyone reading this is familiar with Ellen and her beautiful writing, but did you know she also has a podcast, along with the equally lovely <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalMuses/pseuds/MalMuses">MalMuses</a>? Check out the <a href="http://www.mixtapebookclub.com/">Mixtape Book Club</a>! They have a holiday episode available right now! </p><p>Thanks also to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_communist_unicorn/pseuds/the_communist_unicorn">the_communist_unicorn</a> for your insight and wisdom on this time stamp and in general. If anyone reading this isn't familiar with the unicorn, do yourself a favor and check out his work! He has a holiday fic posting as a WIP right now that is wonderful and I'm not just biased because it's for me and includes literally ALL of my favorite things. 😂</p><p>To all of my other amazing readers, you have all been such an incredible support to me during a very difficult time and I am so grateful for each and everyone of you. I hope this story brings a little extra light to the end of your 2020. 💖</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>
  <b> <em>Thursday, December 24, 2020</em> </b>
</p><p>“I don’ wan’ go bed. I wan’ DeeDee!” </p><p>“<em>Have a holly jolly Christmas</em>,” Dean quietly sings along with the Christmas music he can hear filtering through Cas and Claire’s nightly argument as he pulls a wine glass down from their kitchen cabinet, setting it gently on the granite countertop. They’ve lived here a couple of months now, but he’s still not used to the unforgiving stone, having chipped more than one dish by setting them down too hard.</p><p><em> “ </em> DeeDee’s going to tell you it’s time for bed, too<em>.” </em></p><p>“<em>It’s the best time of the year</em>.” Dean searches the drawer next to their shiny new stainless steel dishwasher for a corkscrew.</p><p>“No bed!” Claire’s persistent shriek picks up volume and carries down the hallway into the kitchen. Her two favorite modes of communication these days are to either shriek like a baby banshee or squeak like a baby kitten. Both are cute for about thirty seconds before they reach nails-on-a-chalkboard level. </p><p>“You need to go to sleep so Santa can bring your toys,” Cas attempts futilely. Dean chuckles to himself. That argument might work <em> next </em> Christmas, but for now he’s pretty sure Claire’s too young to grasp the wonder that awaits her tomorrow morning.</p><p>“I sad,” she retorts  in her sulkiest voice and Dean grins. He can easily picture the way Claire has slumped to the floor, folding her arms in front of her and poking out her bottom lip, delivering an Oscar-worthy performance...one that she repeats almost daily.</p><p>“I’m sorry you’re sad, sweetheart, but you can be sad <em> in bed</em>.” Cas’ voice has reached the point where Dean can hear the frustration tingeing his practiced patience. He grins as he pulls the wine cork out of the bottle. Cas is so calm and collected so much of the time, especially when it comes to Claire, that Dean can’t help but enjoy those moments when his fiance gets a little flustered. It’s nice to know it’s not just him. Cas had been rocking the single-parent thing for eight months by the time Dean came along and most of the time, he makes parenting look so effortless that Dean feels like he’ll never reach Cas’ level. </p><p>Filling a large glass with Cas’ favorite red blend, Dean hears his fiance take a deep breath before trying a different approach. “What a pretty nightgown you’re wearing. Is that Elsa?”</p><p>“No. It dress. I a princess,” Claire answers indignantly.</p><p>“My apologies, Princess Claire. That is a beautiful dress. What color is it?”</p><p>“Boo.”</p><p>“It’s a lovely blue,” Cas agrees and Dean will never stop falling in love with this man. “Who’s on your lovely blue princess dress?”</p><p>“Elsa.” Claire sounds slightly suspicious, but she’s too proud of her “dress” to not answer her dad’s questions. </p><p>“Ah, I see now. It <em> is </em> Elsa. Don’t you have an Elsa doll somewhere?”</p><p>“Elsa baby!” Claire squeals excitedly.</p><p>“Yes, Elsa baby. I think she’s in your room. Can you show me?” And...bingo. Dean can hear Claire happily leading the way toward the stairs. He rounds the corner from the other direction, meeting them at the bottom step. </p><p>“DeeDee!” </p><p>“Claire Bear!” Dean answers, trying not to spill the wine as thirty-plus pounds of chubby blonde toddler crashes into his legs. Dropping one hand to her curly head, he passes off the glass of wine in his other to Cas.</p><p>“What’s this?” Cas asks warmly and Dean shrugs. </p><p>“You’ve had a long week and you’re tired. I’ll put her to bed.” Cas wrapped up his final classes before winter break earlier this week and has spent the days since getting all of his students’ outstanding assignments and quizzes graded and returned, since he didn’t want them worrying over them during their holiday. </p><p>“You’re tired, too,” Cas points out logically. “You’ve run calls for the past three nights. I worked from home. There’s a slight difference there.” Dean knows what Cas is trying to say, but he’s not buying it. The fact that Cas is working from home again is <em> why </em> he’s so burnt out. Back in August, things had begun to regain some sense of normalcy after the pandemic-related closures in the spring, with schools reopening for hybrid learning. Unfortunately, people behaved a little <em> too </em> normally, forgoing masks and social distancing unless absolutely required, and the infection rates started climbing again. Cas entered the second quarter of the year in full virtual learning again. It’s going much better than last spring and Dean is proud to say his future hubby is kicking some online-teaching ass, but he knows it’s still been exhausting for Cas to revamp his entire curriculum and class structure for the virtual classroom.</p><p>“Exactly. I’ve run calls for the past three nights and that means I’ve missed out on the past three bedtimes. Let me?” Reaching down, Dean answers Claire’s insistent tugging on his shirt by scooping her up, amid delighted giggles. </p><p>Smiling softly, Cas leans in to kiss first Claire and then Dean. “Goodnight sweet girl. I love you.” </p><p>“Lub you,” Claire answers on a yawn. </p><p>“I don’t deserve you,” Cas says quietly to Dean, his eyes shining with the soft reflected glow of the twinkle lights wound with garland around the stairway bannister.</p><p>Dean sighs as he hoists Claire more securely on his hip. “Nope. You sure don’t. But lucky for you, I have low standards.” He winks as Cas chuckles and swats him on the ass. “Besides,” Dean adds as he heads up the stairs, “she’s exhausted. I’m sure she’ll be out like a light in no time.”</p><p>Cas snorts as he turns to head back toward the living room. “In your dreams.”</p><p>“<em>I’ll stay home for Christmas</em>,” Dean sings loudly, ignoring what he knows is Cas’ very accurate prediction and changing the words to suit their current pandemic-lifestyle. <em>You can count on me</em>.” </p><p>Indeed, they will be staying home for Christmas this year, especially with Sam and Jess’ eight-month-old, Ella, to think about. While Dean is a little sad they won’t be able to fulfill their annual Christmas tradition of gorging themselves at Bobby and Ellen’s, he’s still incredibly excited for the holiday. After all, this is his first official Christmas as Claire’s dad. </p><p>“<em>Please have snow...and mistletoe...</em>” He carries the drowsing princess up the steps, knowing she’ll be wide awake again as soon as he lays her down. <em> “And presents on the tree</em>.” </p><p>He’s been around for her last two Christmases, of course, but those were different. That first year, he and Cas were just friends, albeit friends who were stupidly in love with one another. Last year, Christmas arrived shortly after Dean had moved into Cas’ apartment. Things were great and they both knew they were in this for the long haul, but they hadn’t actually talked about what Dean’s role was in regards to Claire. Cas had made Dean Claire’s primary emergency contact at daycare though, replacing Gabe’s name with his, and Dean had thought that pretty much said everything he needed Cas to say on the subject. He was content.</p><p>Then, Little Angels held their annual Valentine’s Day celebration in February, inviting parents in to help the little ones make and distribute valentines and decorate heart-shaped cookies. They’d ended up stationed at a table with Desmond, another toddler, and his five-year-old brother, Kameron. Kameron had proudly introduced Cas and Dean to his mother as “Claire’s dad and other dad,” causing them all to chuckle and Dean to try to suppress the little thrill in his heart when Cas didn’t correct the assumption. What he definitely wasn’t expecting was for Cas to introduce them to the next parent to join their table as “Claire’s parents, Cas and Dean, though we might be better known to some as ‘Dad and Other Dad.’” And that’s the story of how Dean ended up crying at his kid’s daycare.</p><p>“<em>Christmas Eve will find me... </em>Closing the swinging baby gate at the top of the stairs behind him, Dean takes a left at the landing and makes his way to Claire’s bedroom, two doors down from the master. <em> “Where the love light gleams."  </em></p><p>Tiny arms tighten around Dean’s neck as he crosses the threshold and he spends a few extra moments just standing next to Claire’s “big girl” bed, rocking her back and forth. </p><p>“<em>I’ll be home for Chri-ist-mas, if only in my dreams."  </em>Drawing out the last line softly, Dean sets Claire down gently on her mattress before pulling the covers up over her tiny form.</p><p>“Stay,” a suddenly not-so-sleepy voice commands, little fingers wrapped around Dean’s wrist. </p><p>He sighs, even as he feels his lips tug upward in a smile. <em> So close</em>.</p><p>Looking down at Claire, eyebrows arched in his best impersonation of Cas’ teacher look, he acquiesces, “Alright, I’ll stay, but you gotta stay in bed and go to sleep. Capiche?”</p><p>“Peesh,” comes the entirely-too-innocent reply. Knowing full well he’s been had, Dean sits down on the twin mattress at Claire’s feet, his back against the wall. </p><p>Sure enough, it’s approximately twenty-seven seconds later when Claire’s head pops up from her pillow. “I wan’ nack.”</p><p>“You already had a snack,” Dean answers without looking up from the Facebook app on his phone. “It’s time for sleep.”</p><p>“No sweep!”</p><p>Dean ignores the protest, trying his best not to get into a power struggle with a two-year-old. He knows from experience there’s no winning that. Unfortunately, Claire decides to take his silence as agreement and begins to climb out of bed.</p><p>“Claire,” Dean warms, “Remember our deal? You have to stay in bed.”</p><p>Claire bursts into very noisy tears, but stays in bed. Dean lets his head thunk back against the pale blue bedroom wall.</p><p>“I wan’ Daddy!” Clair wails and Dean tries not to let that sting. He knows she only wants Cas because she’s not getting her way. Still though…</p><p>Two very loud, very shrill “Daddy” demands later, he feels his phone buzz in his hand. </p><p> </p><p>Today, 7:33 PM</p><p>Cas SENT: Do you want to trade?</p><p> </p><p>Dean smiles down at his phone. He knows it kills Cas to hear his baby cry and not be there even if he knows logically that she’s fine, but he also knows Cas won’t just barge in and take over, because he trusts Dean as Claire’s other parent. </p><p> </p><p>Today, 7:34 PM</p><p>You SENT: Nah. I got this. But remember how you used to worry she wouldn’t reconnect with you?</p><p> </p><p>As much as Dean had never doubted that Cas’ relationship with Claire would fully recover after his time in the hospital, it had still been hard to see the way Cas’ face fell every time Claire reached for someone other than him in those early days. Watching that pain turn to joy and pride as Cas began to realize there was room in both Claire’s heart and his for their new family is one of the many reasons Dean fell in love with him.</p><p> </p><p>Today, 7:36 PM</p><p>Cas SENT: As glad as I am that worry turned out to be baseless, I’m still happy she had the chance to bond so strongly with other people. </p><p> </p><p>Today, 7:37 PM</p><p>You SENT: Who? Gabe?</p><p> </p><p>Today, 7:37 PM</p><p>Cas SENT: Of course, who else would I be talking about? </p><p> </p><p>With a quiet snort, Dean lowers his phone and looks down at Claire, who’s abandoned her tantrum attempts and is now looking at Dean with big, watery blue eyes. </p><p>“Kitty?” she asks pitifully as Dean ruffles her hair.</p><p>“Sure, I’ll get your kitty.” Clambering off the bed, Dean fetches a small, orange and white stuffed kitten from Claire’s toy box. </p><p>As he hands over the plushie and prepares to climb back on the bed, blonde curls swish back and forth across the pillow as Claire vigorously shakes her head.</p><p>“Other kitty.” With a sigh, Dean returns to the toybox to find the <em> other </em>kitty, one that’s black with a white belly this time. </p><p>One puppy, bunny, and dinosaur later, Dean’s finally settled back on the mattress, his fingers stroking through the silky strands of his daughter’s hair (and boy does that still feel surreal to think about) as she finally drifts off to sleep...sprawled across his legs. It takes him another ten minutes to extricate himself without waking the sleeping toddler-dragon. </p><p>Making his way back downstairs, he stops by the kitchen and grabs himself a beer before finding his husband-to-be in the living room, waiting for him on the sofa next to their tree. They had an artificial tree at the apartment, but for their first year in their new home, they’d decided a real tree was in order. And what a pain in the ass <em> that </em> had been. It was worth it though, to see Cas so happy and to be able to smell that fresh pine scent every time he walks into the room. </p><p>They hadn’t been able to have their Christmas decorating party, which, as Charlie had insisted, was now an annual event, but all of their now-familiar ornaments are there. The crocheted bees are spread throughout the tree, looking cheerfully festive, and the red fire-fighter’s hat glitters near the top. It’s placed strategically out of reach of tiny toddler hands, along with the breakable “Baby’s First Christmas” ornament. Beneath, around, and in front of the tree, are all of their Christmas packages, including Claire’s gifts from “Santa,” which Cas had set out while Dean was putting her to bed.</p><p>“<em>Have yourself a merry little Christmas</em>,” Dean sings as he rounds the sofa, the soft white lights from the tree reflecting off Cas’ glasses and the brown bottle in Dean’s hand, “<em>make the Yuletide gay.</em>” He waggles his eyebrows suggestively on the last word, earning an eye roll from Cas as he scoots to the corner of the sofa and turns to the side. Settling contentedly between his fiance’s legs, Dean turns to face the TV, where one of the handful of network Christmas movies that for the first time ever this year feature a same-sex couple, is queued up and waiting. They watch together as the two men on screen find love where they least expect...just in time for Christmas, of course.</p><p>“What did you think?” Cas asks ninety minutes later as the credits roll across the dark screen.</p><p>“It was everything I expected a cheesy Christmas romcom to be,” Dean answers as he stretches, cat-like across the sofa.</p><p>“Mmm,” Cas agrees. “So you loved it?”</p><p>Dean shifts in his fiance’s arms so he can glare up at him, earning a smirk in return.</p><p>“It was alright,” he finally answers with a shrug, “but our story’s still better.”</p><p>“Lonely city boy moves to the suburbs and meets a charming firefighter who shows him what it’s like to be loved. I suppose we would make a pretty good ‘cheesy romcom.’”</p><p>“Yeah, but they’d never be able to find someone good-looking enough to play me.” Dean smirks and its Cas’ turn to glower. </p><p>“What about me? And remember, I still have time to return your Christmas gift.”</p><p>Dean chuckles. “That’s alright. I already have everything I want anyway.” Reaching a hand behind the nape of Cas’ neck, Dean pulls him down to slot their mouths together in a slow, sweet kiss.</p><p>When they part, he looks up at his fiance teasingly. “So city boy, how do us small-town firefighters kiss?” </p><p>Cas drops a kiss to his nose before answering. “Not bad, I suppose, but since your firehouse is technically in the city, I might have to go find an <em> actual </em> small town firefighter to make sure.”</p><p>With a pout, Dean uses his whole hand to shove Cas’ laughing face away. “Do you ever miss it though?” he asks after a moment. “Chicago?”</p><p>“Hmm…” Cas considers the question. “I don’t really miss the city life. I’m much better suited to the suburbs, I think,” he answers. “But I do miss the diversity. It’s definitely easier to be a gay man, especially a gay man raising a child, in Chicago than it is here or even in Kansas City. And living where we do, we’re going to have to make a deliberate effort to ensure that Claire grows up experiencing and learning about cultures different from her own.”</p><p>Dean nods. “Yeah, that makes sense. You know, if it weren’t for my family all being here, I might have considered moving to a bigger city myself. We could, you know, if you wanted.” </p><p>Cas snorts. “Dean, you’d hate it. You get pissed off driving the Impala in Kansas City traffic. You’d be a mess in Chicago. Besides,” he adds, “I wouldn’t trade the life we have here for anything.”</p><p>Dean promptly rewards Cas for not making him risk Baby on the traffic-logged streets of Chicago with another kiss. After a long moment of sleepy, cozy quiet, Cas nudges him.</p><p>“What about you? Do you miss anything about your life before us?”</p><p>Dean scoffs. “You mean do I miss coming home alone to my shitty one bedroom apartment? Uh, no.”</p><p>Squeezing his arms around Dean’s chest, Cas chuckles. “I don’t know. Sleeping in, watching something on TV that’s not animated…sleeping in...it’s tempting some days.”</p><p>“Mmm...it’s a good thing she’s cute,” Dean answers, adding after a pause, “You, too.”</p><p>He laughs when Cas pokes him in the side. “Dude. Don’t poke my love handles. Your freaking brother is making me fat. Is that your evil plan? Make me so fat no one else will want me?”</p><p>He gets a much sharper poke this time. “Stop it. Neither worth nor beauty are determined by size. You would still be gorgeous and wonderful at any weight. And I am one hundred percent certain you’d still be chased after by plenty of men and women alike.” </p><p>Dean fakes a pout as he rubs his side, but he’s secretly pleased. Sure, he <em> knows </em> Cas would love him no matter what—and vice versa—but it’s still nice to hear. He’s so content basking in his almost-husband’s affection that he nearly misses Cas’ next question.</p><p>“What about them? Women, I mean,” he explains at Dean’s confused expression. “Is there anything you miss about women?”</p><p>“Well, they do make up half the population, Cas. It’s kinda hard to avoid them. Especially the ones in our lives. Pretty sure Ellen, Charlie, Jess and Jo are all worth two women each. And put together I think the number somehow triples. They defy math.” </p><p>Cas chuckles. “Ah, that must be this ‘new math’ I hear about. It’s women, destroying the mathematical patriarchy. And you forgot Meg.”</p><p>“Nah,” Dean shakes his head. “Still not convinced she’s human.” He’s glad for Cas that his friendship with Meg has endured, but again, <em> why Meg? </em> At least she’s stopped flirting with Dean so much now that she and Anna are officially a couple. </p><p>“Of course Meg is human...I think,” Cas answers with a gentle pinch to skin along Dean’s ribcage, “but you know that’s not what I’m talking about. Most women have certain assets, physical ones at least, that men lack and media and my over-sharing brother have both led me to believe that individuals attracted to women rather enjoy things like breasts.”</p><p>Dean can’t help the snort that escapes him. “‘Things like breasts?’ Sweetheart, you are hella fucking gay.” He angles himself so he can view Cas fully. “And since you bring it up, I’m actually more of a leg-and-<em> assets </em>-man than a boob-man and yours are the best I’ve ever seen.” </p><p>Cas rolls his eyes, but gives Dean a squeeze. Studying his fiance’s face, Dean sees nothing but love and openness there, but he still asks, “You’re not jealous, are you?”</p><p>“Yes,” Cas answers immediately, “every single time I see you eat pie. But other than that, no. Never.” He squeezes Dean again in reassurance and Dean relaxes.</p><p>“Hey, you knew I was in an open relationship with pie when we started this thing,” he quips, “but you’re the only person-shaped being for me, genitalia unimportant.”</p><p>“I think my genitalia feel insulted,” Cas jokes back. “They would also like to point out that you weren’t calling them <em> unimportant </em> when they were fucking you into the mattress last night.”</p><p>Dean pokes Cas this time. “You know what I mean. Bodies are great, but they’re just bodies, you know that. I love your body because I love you. And it’s the perfect body for me, because <em> you’re </em>perfect for me.”</p><p>“I do know that,” Cas agrees. “I just wanted you to know if you ever did have a moment where you missed something about women, it would be okay.”</p><p>Grabbing the remote off the table, Dean uses it to turn the Christmas music back on. Standing, he tugs Cas up with him. “Well, now that you mention it,” he says thoughtfully, pulling Cas into a slow dance, “they do put the toilet seat down.”</p><p>“It’s convenient,” Cas argues for the hundredth time. He’d gotten into the habit of leaving the seat up during his accident recovery, when bending down was still painful, and it had proved a difficult one to break. That didn’t stop Dean giving him shit for it though.</p><p>“It’s unhygienic,” Dean argues back as he slowly waltzes Cas across the living room.</p><p>“You’re a germaphobe.”</p><p>“You’re an animal.”</p><p>That earns Dean a glare, one which he quickly kisses away, getting a pleased hum for his efforts.</p><p>In between kisses as they sway across the hardwood floor, Dean sings along with music. “<em> Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. </em> ” He twirls Cas as he sings, “ <em> From now on, our troubles will be out of sight…” </em></p><p>Dean stops singing as they begin making their way upstairs, a sudden thought occurring to him. “You know what it’s like?”</p><p>Cas groans. “Not another metaphor.” </p><p>“Shut up. You love my metaphors.” </p><p>“No, I love you, though your metaphors do make me question why.”</p><p>“Rude,” Dean retorts primly, before ignoring Cas’ complaints and barreling on. His metaphors are <em> great </em>. “Anyways, it’s like Sunny D. You remember that juice from the nineties?”</p><p>“You mean that stuff they had to label ‘orange <em> drink </em>’ because there wasn’t actually any juice in it?” Cas asks, a look of impending dread on his face.</p><p>“Exactly,” Dean nods as they reach the top of the staircase, voices lowered so they don’t wake the sleeping child down the hall. “I used to love that shit when I was a kid. And when I remember having sex with women...or anyone else who’s not you...it’s like remembering Sunny D. I thought it was great at the time, but if I had it now? I’d just be disappointed, because I’d know it’s nowhere near as good as the real thing. And honestly, even the thought of it? Gross.” Dean wrinkles his nose.</p><p>“Did you just compare me to juice?” Cas looks somewhere between amused and dismayed. </p><p>Dean didn’t know such an expression existed, but he’s pretty damn proud to be the cause of it. He smirks. “Well yeah, but you’re not just any juice, baby. You’re that fancy, hand-squeezed OJ.”</p><p>“I supposed I should just be glad I’m not a car this time,” Cas answers resignedly as he leads the way into their bedroom.</p><p>Dean grins as he shuts and locks the door behind them. “Oh no, sweetheart. You’re juice, alright. And I got a <em> thirst </em>.”</p><p>Cas laughs aloud as Dean tackles him to the bed. “You’re ridiculous.”</p><p>Straddling Cas, Dean licks into his fiance’s mouth. “Mmm, you taste sweet,” he says as he begins trailing kisses down Cas’ neck. “Wonder if you taste sweet everywhere?” He pulls back far enough to grasp the hem of Cas’ t-shirt and tug it up over his head, pausing just long enough for Cas to toss his glasses out of the way. They land safely next to Dean’s pillow.</p><p>“Delicious,” Dean murmurs as he kisses a wet trail across Cas’ chest, pausing to swirl his tongue around a dusky nipple.</p><p>“And you call me a dork,” Cas manages between chuckles and gasps as Dean continues his mission to taste every inch of newly exposed skin.</p><p>He teases his tongue down Cas’ happy trail, nips at the ticklish spot beneath his ribs, and sucks marks into the sensitive skin along his hip bones. Cas’ chuckles turn into pants and moans as the tent in his pajama bottoms gets steadily taller. </p><p>Dean is just about to unveil his prize when fingers curl in the soft cotton of his t-shirt, tugging insistently. “What’s wrong, babe?” he asks, looking up to see Cas’ lust-blown blue eyes staring back at him. </p><p>“I can’t reach you down there,” Cas answers, still tugging at Dean’s shirt.</p><p>“But I wanna taste my fancy orange juice,” Dean pouts, shooting Cas his best “blue steel.”</p><p>Cas looks unimpressed. “Well, I wanna taste my fiance’s fat cock, but if you’re not interested…”</p><p>Said cock jerks to attention beneath Dean’s own pajama pants, clearly on board with Cas’ plan. </p><p>“Fucking Christ, Castiel,” Dean breathes as Cas smirks down at him, the effect his filthy mouth has on Dean never growing old for either of them.</p><p>In response, Cas lifts his hips, nudging Dean off of him before shimmying out of his flannel pants. Dean follows suit, stripping off his own clothing as quickly as possible before returning to kiss Cas long and deep as his fiance’s hands roam his body. </p><p>Breaking their kiss, Cas turns on his side and understanding his meaning, Dean turns the opposite direction before kissing his way down Cas’ torso this time, ending on his own side, his face even with Cas’ cock, already leaking since he’s had more stimulation than Dean so far. </p><p>Cas must be thinking along the same lines though, because he wastes no time in helping Dean catch up, licking a long stripe down Dean’s cock before wrapping an arm around Dean’s leg and pulling him in, swallowing him down to the hilt.</p><p>“Fuck,” Dean hisses as Cas pulls back, indulging a few more deep bobs before giving a hard suck to Dean’s head and popping off, drawing his arm back to cup Dean’s balls gently instead.</p><p>Dean pulls in a shuddering breath before suddenly remembering that, oh yeah, there’s a perfectly good cock inches from his face. He gets to work trying to fry Cas’ brain cells as well as the other man has his. He pulls out all the stops, taking Cas apart with every swirl and flick of his tongue as he rubs a firm, but gentle finger against Cas’ perineum, before dragging it back between his cheeks, pressing lightly against his hole. </p><p>Cas squirms, trying to cant his ass closer to Dean’s teasing finger as he moans around Dean’s cock. Dean shivers in response to the vibrations along his dick, increasing the pressure against Cas’ hole. For a moment, he wishes he had lube, but no way in hell is he stopping to get any now. Instead, he pulls sloppily off of Cas’ cock, trailing his finger along the length of it, smiling at the way it jumps at the teasing touch. Wrapping his hand around the heated shaft, he gives it several languid strokes, rewarded with a spurt of precome. </p><p>Humming happily, Dean swipes his finger through the new wetness before returning it to Cas’ hole. As he resumes sucking Cas with gusto, he rubs small circles around Cas’ entrance, noting with pleasure that Cas’ own ministrations have nearly stopped, distracted as he is. Dean can feel Cas’ lips kissing down the side of his shaft before giving up entirely and just resting, hot and wet against the base of his cock, Cas’ head pillowed on Dean’s thigh. Cas’ hips are thrusting shallowly, almost involuntarily, against Dean’s face now, rocking him back onto Dean’s finger as it pushes past his entrance.</p><p>Knowing how close his fiance is, Dean opens his throat and shimmies himself downward just enough that he can tilt his head and take Cas all the way to the hilt on his next thrust, his nose nestling in the dark curls there. </p><p>“Fuuuuck,” Cas moans as his thrusts pick up pace, taking Dean’s finger in deeper with each thrust. Dean keeps his throat open, but eases his hand back a bit, not willing to penetrate Cas too far without actual lube. </p><p>It’s not long before Cas is coming down Dean’s throat with a muffled cry, his face pressed into the meat of Dean’s thigh now as he bites a bruise there to keep from waking the sleeping child two doors down. Dean’s neglected cock perks back up from half mast at the pleasure-pain of the hickey. They don’t leave marks on one another often these days and when they do, they keep them somewhere out of sight, like this one—Claire is a little too good at noticing “boo-boos”—which makes the sensation that much more unexpected.</p><p>“You okay down there, Sweetheart?” Dean teases, his voice raspy and raw-sounding from his fucked out throat, “You seemed a little distracted.”</p><p>With an annoyed grunt, Dean feels an arm slide forcefully between his bottom leg and the mattress, Cas gripping his thighs and then heaving, rolling them so that Cas is on his back. Dean grapples to find purchase for his hands on the mattress, a little dizzy at the sudden change in position.</p><p>“You okay up there, Sweetheart?” Cas asks mockingly, his own voice holding a little extra gravel.</p><p>Before Dean can work up a suitably smartass retort, his cockhead is suddenly submerged in wet heat as Cas wraps his lips around it. He swirls his tongue around the head before teasing at the sensitive bundle of nerves underneath. One hand fondles and gently squeezes Dean's balls, while the other strokes Dean’s quickly stiffening length.</p><p>It’s only a moment longer before Cas has Dean fully hard again and his fiance wastes no time, planting a hand on Dean’s ass and pulling him downward, silent encouragement to fuck his face. Dean obliges with a groan, keeping his thrusts slow at first. Cas keeps a hand around Dean’s cock, pressed against his own lips to keep Dean from going farther than their current angle safely allows, while offering extra stimulation with each thrust. </p><p>Dean stays in fairly good shape thanks to his job, but it’s not long before his arms are wobbling. Maintaining a plank on a soft surface while getting one’s dick sucked should be added to the Strong Man competition. Huffing a breath, he slows his thrusting and taps Cas leg, rolling to the side as Cas drops his head back to the bed. That couldn’t have been the most comfortable angle for him either with no neck support.</p><p>“Tired?”  Cas asks smugly.</p><p>“Nah,” Dean pants raggedly. “Just wanna kiss you.”</p><p>Cas snorts in disbelief, but obliges, crawling his way up to Dean’s lips, dropping kisses to his stomach, chest, and shoulders as he goes. </p><p>“Fuck, I love you,” Dean says helplessly as Cas finally reaches his destination, capturing Dean’s lips in a long, slow kiss as his hand pumps Dean’s cock. </p><p>“Love you, too,” Cas breathes wetly in Dean’s ear. “<em> All </em> of you.” Cas puts such emphasis on the word that Dean knows he’s talking about far more than sex. He lets himself drown in the feeling of being loved, so fully and completely, by someone he loves just as much in return. </p><p>“And you know what else I love?” Cas asks as Dean fees that familiar coiling tightness build, dragging him inevitably toward climax. “When you come for me,” Cas murmurs hotly as he nips at Dean’s earlobe, sending Dean spilling across Cas’ hand and his own thighs.</p><p>Spent, they both fall onto their backs, hands groping blindly for one another as they try to catch their breath. Fingers intertwined, they lie there together for several long minutes, sleepy and sated, before Cas finally tugs at Dean’s arm and they pull themselves up and out of bed. Dean cleans himself up in their ensuite bathroom while Cas turns off all the lights and checks the doors downstairs.</p><p>It’s not long before they’re cuddled together under the covers, pajama pants back in place in case one of them needs to get to Claire quickly in the middle of the night. It’s been one hell of a year, but even given everything that’s happened this year, there’s still nowhere Dean would rather be than exactly where he is now and he can’t help but see a bright and hopeful glow on the horizon.</p><p>Gathering Cas to him, Dean’s quiet voice fills the room. “<em>Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow. So hang a shining star...upon the highest bow."</em></p><p>Cas squeezes him around the waist and Dean drops an answering kiss on top of his head before finishing the song.</p><p>“<em>And have yourself, a merry little Christmas...now."</em></p><p><br/>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoyed your gift, lotrspnfangirl! I definitely enjoyed creating it for you! I wanted to give you something warm and fluffy that felt like coming home for Christmas. 💖</p><p>Thanks again to each and every one of you! I have more cookies to bake, presents to wrap, and I've almost finished my glass of wine, so I'll stop now before I get even mushier than normal on you. </p><p>Take care and I wish you all nothing but good things as we welcome a new year! 💖</p></blockquote></div></div>
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